Intersecting Lives
by SoccerChica410603
Summary: Happens between Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader. When Ari, a young girl from war-stricken London lands in Narnia, what adventures will come her way? More importantly, which people? PeterxOC. Slightly AU. My first fanfic.
1. Harvest Moon

**Hey everybody. This is my first fanfic, so I really appreciate reviews and constructive criticism. However, constructive criticism is not bashing somebody's story, so NO FLAMES PLEASE!!! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my characters, which is Aristella at this point. All else belongs to C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media.**

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Chapter 1- Harvest Moon

_… The Keep, a strong defensive fortress, usually has a secure and durable exoskeleton composed of several layers…_

I studied the text and sighed. When I had signed up for Medieval History as a minor at the Institute of Art in London, I had no idea that it would be so… _boring_. I thought it would be all interesting battles for glory and the light; like the ones that nice old man had told me about.

_Flashback__:_

_The scary lady was bustling all of the people about, including my parents and me. Being an inquisitive 10-year old, I could not help but become cross at her for rushing us through the tour, like we did not belong. Well, _excuse me_ for coming here. If you don't like us here, then don't offer tours. _

_I snuck off like a mouse, exploring rooms in depth, which I'm sure that old bat would not have let us do. I crept around the old house while giggling at the cleverness of my plan, until I ran into a warm, solid object. It was an old man._

_The Professor was actually quite a nice man. He invited me to his office for tea. When he found out I was interested in tales of old, he began describing battles of glory and of holy wars._

_I was entranced. Even when the crotchety housekeeper came up complaining about a lost child, I did not look away from the professor. I did not turn away until I heard another small child enter. The young girl, about eight I would say, ran towards the Professor for comfort. All I could hear from the mumbling a bubbling was "…think I'm lying…Narnia…faun named Mr. Tumnus…" Before another three children burst in…_

_End Flashbac_k

"Ari, Steve's having some people over at his house; do you want to come?" my sister, Gwyn (actually Gwyneth), popped her head into my room, before retracting it in disgust. My room was not suited to her tastes. If she had her way, Gwyn would paint my room shades of bubblegum pink and chartreuse, a bubbly room for her shallow personality.

"Can't, have to study for the finals," I replied, trying to lace my answer with regret and resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

"God, you need to get a life," she rolled her eyes as she departed. I stuck out my tongue at her then berated myself for doing so. It was unladylike conduct and not what Gran and Dad would have approved of. _If they were here_, I thought bitterly.

_No matter_, I thought to myself as I palmed the small ring that hung in the hollow of my neck. The ring, a head of a lion with a ruby in its mouth, had been my Gran's until now.

Tonight I was going stargazing, or more to the point, moon gazing. Tonight was to be a harvest moon. Something like this, though not rare, was a treat during times like these. The eerie orange glow of the moon creeped some people out, but I loved the rich hues of pumpkin and peach that came out at these times. Plus, it gave me an opportunity to paint.

I loved to paint. It filled the dark voids in my mind and soul. It cloaked all my senses from the outside. While painting, there was no war-stricken London, no soldiers being shipped home in coffins, no children finding their grandmother's house blown to bits…

I stood and rid my head of any leftover morbid thoughts.  
There would be time to grieve after the harvest moon. After smoothing my long skirt free of wrinkles, I straightened my peasant blouse and put on my boots. I retrieved my cheap, patched telescope from in my closet and headed out to our tiny backyard with a sketchpad in hand.

By the time I had properly set up the telescope, the moon had risen and been up for an hour. As I admired it through the telescope, a shooting star passed by the lens, casting a glittering streak of light across the smoky sky, like a rip of hope through the war-struck heavens.

Electricity had been rationed, so now I was desperately squinting at my charcoal sketch by the light of the moon. I wished so much for more light so that I could see what I was doing. All of a sudden, the area around me turned bright.  
Expecting a constable, I turned around, only to find no one there. It was then I realized that the light was radiating from the ruby in the lion's mouth. Panicking, I went to grab it and rip it from the chain. However, the second my hand closed around the ring, a bright flash blinded my eyes, and I could see no more.

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**Yeah...it's a bit short. I have the first 5 or so chapters written up, so it's just a matter of time when it comes to typing them up and posting them. I'll try and get them up faster, though, if I get a good reception. :)**

**Review please!**


	2. Life as I Knew It

**Hey Guys!**

**Please don't kill me or throw stuff at me. I would give you an excuse, but you wouldn't believe me, so let's just skip that part. Now that it's summer vacation, I'll (hopefully) update sooner. Read and Review, por favor!**

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Chapter 2**-Life as I Knew It

When the ring had blinded me, I had closed my eyes tightly, hoping the light would not penetrate. When I finally dared to open my eyes against the unnatural glow, I was not sure if I would ever close them again.

Gone were the smoky skies and rubble-cluttered streets of London. Here were rolling plains that smelled of heather and lavender, with a thick forest in the distance and mountains to my left. I admired the view and smell for a few moments before survival mode began to kick in.

During the same year that we had gone to the musty old house, my parents had taken me on a camping trip. Some things had stayed in my head, like the fact that trees grow near water. So the _logical_ decision would be to head to the forest. If only my brain was functioning. Thankfully my legs would still take orders, and I started to slowly walk towards the forest, trying to wrap my head around the idea that I had been magically transported from London to…here, wherever _this_ is.

Half an hour later, the forest seemed no closer. I was getting irritated, and started running. Ten minutes later, I skidded to a stop in awe. The trees surrounding me were enormous, almost scraping the sky with their top branches. The majesty of this forest was tangible; it made you feel proud, important, infallible. I shook my head from the reverie and attempted to quietly search for a stream or river.

However, that search came to a quick halt when I found a trail. It was a well-worn path, earth trampled down by thousands of feet that had passed through here. I followed it, hoping that it would lead to water, or better yet, civilization so that I could find answers to all of my questions.

Now, as I meandered down the trail, I realized that I was still clutching my charcoals and sketchbook in my hand. It had somehow managed to sneak its way into my magical vacation. _Ha, some vacation_, I thought cynically. So far, this has been the most exercise I've ever done on a vacation.

The trail ended abruptly. I muttered to myself while scuffing about in the undergrowth, trying to desperately find the trail again. _I do not need to be stuck in the middle of a forest with no…oh._

I looked up, and all other thoughts disappeared. There, in front of me, was a giant stone…_temple? No, not a temple,_ I thought to myself_. What was it called in medieval history? A How? Yeah, that's it!_ I stared at the how some more. This must have been what the trail had led to. It must be very important, at least to whoever, or whatever, lived here.

As I neared the entrance, a shiver of awe went through me. Although the structure was slightly crude, it was obvious that many people had put a great amount of hours into building this How. The drawings inside were also not as delicate as some I'd seen, but still done with great care. They showed four children, two boys and two girls, near a …_lamppost_?

What was a picture of a lamppost doing in here? As far as I could tell, there was neither electricity nor natural gas here. Judging by the construction of the How, the time and technology were not very advanced, so _why on God's green earth was there a lamppost in the drawings_? Was I in a weird dream? I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. Nope, still here.

I walked further along the passageway, and the drawings progressed. One of the boys in the drawings appeared often, usually in armor. First battling dwarves and hags, then other men in a keep; dueling a king in gaudy gold armor, and attacking the golden king's army the next. I shuddered. Whoever these people were, they were a bloodthirsty lot.

I had finally arrived in a chamber, a large one, judging by the echo of my boots. A torch, barely flickering, hung in the doorway. I grabbed it, but noticed a trench containing oily water. After dipping the torch in the trench, the room lit up, highlighting a majestic fresco of a lion and cracked stone table.

The lion gave a calm peace, reassuring me in a strange way that I no earthly clue about. But the moment that my eyes slid from the lion to the stone table, my blood ran cold. It was easy enough to see that the table had been used as a sacrificial altar before it had been destroyed. Who knew, maybe the cult came here to worship. I shuddered at that thought.

But the long trek had tired me, and the warmth of the room only added to the temptation of lying down. I slowly skirted the edge of the room, trying to stay as far away from the table as possible. I dropped down to the floor underneath the lion. It comforted me, to sleep underneath the lion, even if it was not living.

It continued its watch over me as I slept, and watched still as I woke to find a sharp metal blade at my throat in the morning.


	3. Meeting Royalty

**Hey. So I realize that it might be a tiny bit late, but better late than never, right? *smiles awkwardly* Hehe...well read, enjoy, and REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters, Aristella and others later on. :)**

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Chapter 3**- Meeting Royalty

When I felt the tip of the blade press into my throat, my eyes had snapped up to the face of the sword's wielder. I found myself staring at a young man. He was golden-haired, with blue eyes that pierced me like ice. I quickly swept my legs around, knocking the man off his feet and grabbing his sword, which I then pointed at his neck. _Let's see how _you_ like being in that position, buddy!_

"Peter, NO!"

_What?_ I had heard that voice before, from the mouth of that eight-year-old girl. I spun around to find the source of the voice, dropping my guard. I was so shocked that I didn't realize that the man, Peter, had moved until I was tackled to a stone pillar. I dropped the sword after I heard my head connect with pillar with a CRACK! Darkness seeped around the edges of my vision and I felt myself go limp in his arms. As unconsciousness overtook me, I heard a distinctly English voice complain.

"Good job, Peter. Now we have to carry her."

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When I awoke from my pillar-induced slumber, it was morning and my hands were tied in front of me, as well as my feet. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I realized we were no longer in the How. I began to thrash about and scream.

While I flopped about like a landed fish, I accidently kicked the golden-haired man, _Peter_, I reminded myself, in the head. He awoke with a loud curse. His accent seemed…_familiar_, but with a strange accent.

My God! I was so stupid! Just because my hands were tied did not mean I could not lift them to pull the gag from my mouth. I did just that, then rested a few minutes so that my mouth could get the taste of cotton balls out its system. Now I could start asking indignant questions. I'd start out nicely.

"Excuse me, Peter is it? Did you really need to tackle me into a pillar? I was just looking for your sister, since I heard her voice. I know her, or at least I used to know her. And where the hell are we anyway?" I added, fixing him with a glare. When I had started talking, Peter had rolled over with lightning speed, a dagger clutched in his hand. I rolled my eyes.

"I just told you I was harmless and you greet with a dagger in your hand. Well, except without the greeting. And you still haven't answered my question," I reminded.

"Narnia."

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Narnia. You're in Narnia," he replied in a strangled voice.

I reeled back. _Narnia_? As in the country that Grandmother had told me about?

"No joke? We're actually there?" I asked excitedly. He looked puzzled for an instant, but recovered.

"Yes, no joke. How did you know?" he wondered.

"Sorry, I'm still asking questions. Where's your sister? She should be about," I thought for a second, then continued, "thirteen. And why aren't we at the How anymore? Where are we in Narnia? Where are we going?"

He was angry about my rejection of his question. "I asked you first," he said through his teeth.

"Well, I'm not telling. I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," I teased. He looked shocked, like he wasn't used to people disobeying him. _That's ridiculous,_ I thought to myself. He can't be more than twenty. The sight of his face made me laugh, reducing me tears.

"Peter, what did you do? Why did you make her cry?" The sister I remembered walked over to crouch by Peter. She did not share his hair color. Instead, she had ginger hair. Her name, I found out, was Lucy. She continued to chastise Peter over his treatment of me, his explanations falling on stone ears. The sight of a girl yelling at an almost-grown man was hysterical, and I was left in tears for the second time that morning.

"See? That's what happened. She laughed at me until she cried," he explained to Lucy exasperatedly.

"Peter, why are you holding a dagger? Why is she crying? Good heavens, what will she think of us?" The proper one, Lucy explained, was Susan, the second oldest. Edmund was the dark-haired boy who was still sleeping.

"Ed hates mornings," Lucy confided.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. What was it?" Susan asked.

I smirked. "The reason you didn't catch my name was because it isn't floating around." Peter snorted.

"That's all I've been able to get out of her. She just twists your words around," he explained.

"My name is Aristella, but everyone calls me Ari," I revealed.

"Oh, lovely! You can come with us to Cair Paravel. Nobody will miss you, will they?" Lucy asked. I could feel my face fall at the thought of my family. _Gwen certainly wouldn't miss me. Mum would, though._

"No, no one will," I replied flatly.

"Good. You're going to get to meet Caspian. You see, Caspian and Susan…" Lucy managed to say before her brother's hand clamped over her mouth. I grinned when I saw Susan's blush. _This could be fun_.

"Need any help, Lu?" I offered with a smirk at Peter's expression. He looked like he was trying to figure out who was the bigger threat, Lucy or me. Lucy's grin grew bigger.

"That would be excellent, Ari! And after we're finished with Su, we can…" Lucy says as we turn to Peter, "…move on to Pete!" He backed away towards Edmund, probably to wake him up and get some support.

"What about Edmund? Whose side is he on?" I whispered to Lucy. She lit up.

"Edmund will be on our side…until we start planning his match," she giggled. I was amazed; it was very easy to get along with Lucy. I watched her stand up and return to Peter's side, whisper something in his ear, then get tickled by him. They were so nice for including me in their family. I was temporarily immersed in happy thoughts until I wanted to brush hair out of my face. I went with one of my hands to brush it away, only to realize my hands and feet were still tied.

"Excuse me," I said, trying to get their attention. "Could someone untie me?"

I saw Peter smirk as no one noticed my plea.

**Cheeky little devil.

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